Disaster Films as Appropriated Refugee Stories

I am not sure if it’s the current situation or just a morbid fascination, but I have been binge-watching disaster films for the past few months. The disaster film is arguably one of cinema’s oldest movie genres, from the stories about Pompeii to giant monsters, there is no shortage to be found. But what really constitutes a disaster film? There are so many variations, with the relatively new-to-the-stage environmental disasters, the too-close-to-home disease and pandemic outbreaks, and the creature-from-another-world invasions. Often all housed in different categories such as thrillers or science fiction, they are all cut from the same cloth.…